Mini Warping Mill

One major obstacle to weaving in a camper is winding a warp.
Several years ago I had made a warping mill out of pvc pipe. It wasn't elegant, but it saved wear and tear on my arm trying to use a warping board.
When I moved to Texas and into a camper, I found the warping mill was just too big and I didn't have a table to set it on.

It also seems to be missing one cross piece.

While browsing online, I came across a teeny tiny warping mill. That started my brain cranking out ideas. What if I cut this warping mill down to fit my small folding table?  PVC is easy to cut and drill and I'd have something I could actually use. I won't be doing any large pieces for a while until I find a place where I can use my floor looms. Better to make small pieces and stitch them together than none at all.

I'll start on this as soon as I finish my needle felting projects.

Re Rag Rug Experiment

I've heard about people taking a rag rug apart and re-weaving it, especially if it was a family heirloom that was coming apart. This isn't exactly a family heirloom, but it certainly was coming apart. The string warp was breaking, but the cloth weft was still in pretty good shape if somewhat faded. The fading seems to give it a softer look.
It came apart pretty easily, but I should have measured it before I started ripping it apart so I'd know how much rug I'll have to work with. I don't have a place to set up my bigger looms so I'm going to see what I can do with a table loom. I think I'll make smaller pieces and stitch them together.

One Mug Rug is Not a Set.

I gave up looking for the blue to go with the pink yarn. I rather like the way the tan looks. Now I can't find the rest of the tan yarn. I know I put it in a clear container to keep it clean, but where did it go?

OK Where's the Yarn?

I decided to do a couple of small projects on my little loom. I managed to find the loom and the heddle and some warp thread and got it warped. I found a shuttle with yarn on it that I could use. But needed another couple of shuttles so I can do stripes.

In the meantime, I took a ball of yarn that was the right color for a stripe. Put it on my desk.

It took several days to find the small shuttles that had fallen behind the desk. I was thrilled to find several the right size for the little loom. Now I can't find that ball of yarn.

I won't mention what my desk looks like....

Almost Ready to Weave

I've been thinking about weaving again. I need a blanket and I have a ton of yarn. I could make strips of random patterns and sew them together. Looks aren't as important as keeping warm. I could put my homemade loom on the bed and weave - I think. I don't know how uncomfortable that would be, but I won't know until I try it.
My folding loom has warp on it and I really hate to waste warp. It's an ugly nylon string warp. I should just get rid of it, but can't bring myself to do it.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Weaving Loom

Thinking of giving weaving a try? New looms can cost a great deal of money. If you're new to weaving, the price can be quite a stumbling block and the variety of looms can be...read more

Loom SOLD

 Some pictures of a little 4 harness floor loom I have for sale. It folds up and doesn't take up much room. Weaves about 30 inches wide if I remember correctly. I'll double check that as soon as the mud allows me to make it up to the studio. It doesn't have a maker stamped on it. It might actually be homemade, but it is a sturdy little loom. I've woven rugs on it.

Woven billfolds and hats

I've been using my table loom to experiment with new (to me) patterns. The billfold was done in plain weave patterns and opposites. I loved it until I started working on the new one. Now I love the new one....It has some issues with the lining. A friend did that for me and I have to keep a rubber band around it so my pitifully few bills don't fall out, but that will be fixed in the newer model.
The hat was woven using twill patterns from a book by Leclerc that I can't remember the name of at the moment. It was fun to try some new stuff!

AGGGGHHHH.

 I finished a little project on my table loom and started a second one on the same warp. I happily wove a couple of inches before work. When I came home and started to weave again, I noticed a rough spot - the WEFT was broken. I pulled it out and started again, but noticed another rough spot a few rows back. I had to unweave a bit to get to that broken weft. Then I noticed a broken warp. It wasn't at the fell, but back further - more unweaving. Then ANOTHER broken warp. As I was about to fix that, I found ANOTHER broken warp!##@! I gave up and cut it off. I sort of expected the warps to break since I'm using a homemade reed, but the wefts!!!!!??????And 3 breaks in on spot? When they were fine when I left?

When I'm out at an outdoor market or craft fair with my spinning wheel, people often ask me, "What are you making?" I try not to sound sarcastic, but the answer is, as a matter of fact, "YARN." The truth is, I'm not always spinning to knit or weave something in particular.. Sometimes I spin yarn to sell, sometimes just to use up some bunny fur, dog hair or sheep wool that has been accumulating. Sometimes I have something new like raw llama that I just want to see spun up. Sometimes I spin just to relax or to keep my hands busy.
It takes 3-4 times as long to prepare and spin yarn as it does to weave with it. I rarely have the time to do that. I get to spin here and there, in odd chunks of time. I do it just because I like it and want to keep my shelves full of yarn. Weaving takes up great quantities of yarn and when I'm weaving it's full steam ahead.  It has been said that in the days of homespun clothing, it took 7 spinners to keep one weaver busy! No way I can keep up with that!

  My first huck lace. It's in linen and is still a little stiff. I've washed, frozen and steam pressed it so I know it'll turn soft after a while.

I was having trouble with the new inkle loom popping pegs. I realized that we had modified the plans to accommodate more pegs to give a longer warp, but we hadn't altered the tension bar. It wasn't giving enough slack to move the warp and I was pulling hard on it.  With a larger tension bar, it works great!

Cheap looms

This is one of the little frame looms I've been making for my weaving class. I've been trying them out as I go and actually made something on this one. Works really well. Just goes to show, if you don't have $700 for a small loom or $1500 for a floor loom, you can make your own!
I'll be putting up descriptions and pictures under the "Make your own frame loom" tab.

Double trouble!

I finally figured out how to do a double bind weave. This is my first rug done in double bind. It's a pattern that you have to keep your attention on or it goes awry, but I managed to do it while sitting in the Gallery. It's also reversible. I've got it on Etsy for now.

RH Loom with a pick up stick

I'm so excited about this project. I'm weaving on my rigid heddle loom - usually you just get plain weave with a rigid heddle, but I started experimenting with a pick-up stick which gives a bunch of interesting patterns. The pickup stick is inserted behind the heddle with the slots up - then I went over 1 under 1. When I get to "pu stick" I turned the stick on end, creating a different shed. The weaving is up, pu stick, down, pu stick. I'm planning on making a vest out of 5 panels.

I'm feeling a little cranky today. Don't know why, other than just being tired. I set the alarm and got up at a proper hour. I've been sleeping too late and staying up too late. The joys of electric lights....So I'm trying to cure my mood with chocolate. I read, in a funny little knitting book a GREAT way to keep track of rows. Instead of a clicker, or a counter, you set out m&ms in the same number as rows to be knit. At the end of each row, you eat an m&m. When they're gone, you're done! I thought it was so brilliant I just have to try it.

And, yes, the mitten has finally submitted and is coming along. I even checked out the audio books on knitting. (see previous post...)

And the spinning is DONE! Now I have to wind them into usable balls and start measuring out warp. The last batch was so pretty. All my leftovers from hand dyed roving in all colors. I almost don't want to waste it on warp, but I MUST. No faltering now.

I must sign off now. The m&ms await me.....

She's Baaaack...

You know you've been offline too long when you can't find your own blog....so I'm starting a new one and bookmarking it.
After the trauma of losing my house and mini farm, I put a ton of stuff in storage and the dogs and I moved into a 25 ft camper on a friend's land. I wintered once before in a camper and was a frozen pop-person, but this time it's really pretty nice! The floor does get cold when the wind blows, but otherwise it's warmer than my house was. I do have to weatherstrip the door when it gets warm enough-the snow seeps right in. I have a heavy curtain over it, but if it gets too cold, the door knob freezes.
I thought I wasn't going to get online for a while, in spite of having 4 computers crammed in here. Two don't have modems, one has everything but won't stay on. The old computer had all my files on it but didn't seem to work with the newer monitor. For some reason, last night it gave in and is working. It's slow as molasses in winter, but I'm connected!
My camera died too so I will have to replace it when I can. That means no new photos for a while.

And as for projects, I'm furiously knitting some new work mittens with flaps so I can do chores without having to remove hand coverings. I discovered that when it's really COLD (like below zero during the day) it HURTS to take your mittens off....
I'm alternating knitting with spinning. I started a project a couple of years ago that now has a deadline. I looked around my studio and realized I was hoarding bits of fiber. I couldn't throw away pretty little handfuls of wool, angora, mohair, dog hair and what have you. In a fit of practicality, I filled a two-pound bag with the stuff. Then carded it lightly to keep the colors strong and started spinning. I decided that, since I almost never make anything for myself, I'd knit a sweater, but since I've never actually finished a sweater in my life, I ripped it out and decided to weave a vest or jacket. I made the mistake of taking the yarn to the Weaving Guild meeting and presented it for the "Green Challenge" in which the membership was challenged to weave something recyled, reused or otherwise considered "green." I only got as far as spinning but everyone seemed to like it and asked if I'd have it ready for an exhibit this spring. Sure, I said, casually....
After careful calculations, I realized I had enough for the weft, but nothing for warp. I'd need twice as much as I had! ACK! So I've been spinning like crazy to get this finished this month and ready for the meeting in March. I did cram my small floor loom in here, but didn't count on having to bring in a dog crate too. It's tight, but I can warp the loom and weave. Looking forward to building a studio shed this summer.